Dark Love
by Gilded Arrow
Summary: Ariana Castillion returns to England after many years in living in a small Southern town in America. She returned to help fight against Voldemort, who has risen to power once more. Ready to fight once more. Story includes Severus Snape and Harry Potter. I also do not own any of those characters. They belong to the wonderful, JK Rowling.


Hogwarts was not the same. The entire magical world was not the same, since the attack on the Ministry of Magic. What had been obvious to some had finally come to light, and it had blinded those who had refused to see what was in front of them. This realization was a cruel mistress, as it revealed that Lord Voldemort had finally returned, and this time he was much more powerful than before. Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter had been right all along.

Panic spread rampant throughout the magical community like a wildfire- burning and destroying a forest. The trust, the bond that once held them all together had vanished, and was replaced by mistrust and confusion. Cornelius Fudge was no longer the Minister of Magic. He had gracefully resigned from the position of the Minister and stepped down from his esteemed position. He had wanted to save himself the complete embarrassment from being sacked from the job.

Rufus Scrimgeour had stepped into Fudge soiled shoes, and had made the Order of Phoenix and Harry Potter a shining beacon of hope for the magical community. Harry Potter had become the "Chosen One," and Albus Dumbledore was no longer regarded as a twittering old fool, but the powerful mastermind he was. Scrimgeour was not afraid, nor envious of the headmaster's power. He knew that Dumbledore did not want the position he currently held, and unlike Fudge, he wanted to work with Dumbledore to ensure the defeat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

Everything seemed to be coming to together, at least with the ministry backing the Order of Phoenix. Of course, Dumbledore didn't trust the ministry just yet. Despite their good intentions, Dumbledore knew that the ministry had been infiltrated, and if it hadn't been, he knew it would be. The information he passed to the ministry was little. This frustrated the new minister. He wanted to shove the Order into light. His intentions were good, but he could not be trusted. Not yet…

"The Chosen One," Harry Potter had hidden himself from the public eye, avoiding it, like he had tried to do since he first entered the wizarding world at elven years old. He didn't want to be their beacon of hope. He didn't want his face plastered on posters promoting the cause. He wanted to fade into the background and concentrate on the task ahead, concentrating on the prophecy that had damned him.

Harry Potter no longer felt joy in this dark time, and it seemed that the darkness surrounded him. Harry shut himself off from all of his friends. He no longer wanted to put their lives in danger. The fiasco at the ministry had taught him a hard lesson, and it wasn't one that he would soon forget. He knew now what his rash actions had cost him.

Sirius Black, Harry's godfather, had died because of him. Because he didn't think before he ran off to be the "hero" everyone expected him to be. He didn't feel like a hero. Not anymore. And he vowed that he would never put anyone's life in danger again, especially the lives of his friends. He had destroyed their lives enough, and would take no further part in their destruction. Harry started pushing his friends away.

His time at the Weasley's house had not brought Harry out of the slump he placed himself in, and all of Fred and George's playful tricks had failed to rouse him from his mood. Hermione and Ron failed at bringing him out of it as well. They sat with him, talked to him, tried to get him to talk, but he just exploded at them at every turn. There was a wall there now-a wall placed there by Harry himself, in order to protect them. He did not want any more blood on his hands.

The return to Hogwarts hadn't helped his mood as the others had hoped. He had stayed withdrawn, even though he had made Qudditch Captain and tryouts were right around the corner. He walked around in daze, just going about his regular routine. It unsettled Minerva McGonagall, and she hoped that soon Albus would do something to help the boy.

Even the insults, the detentions, and the continuous rage of Severus Snape had not even sparked an ounce of retaliation against the Potions Master. The amount of points Snape had taken away from Harry their first week back should have been enough to stir the boy, but again, he had received nothing in return.

Since Sirius' death, the Order of Phoenix headquarters had changed, at least for the time being, until it was certain that no one could get into Grimmauld Place. Dumbledore was afraid the place had been compromised. Being a part of the Black family, it could have gone to Bellatrix Lestrange or Narcissa Malfoy, even though Sirius left the house to Harry. Magic worked in mysterious ways, and Dumbledore did not want to jeopardize the Order.

The new headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix was Hogwarts. Most of the core members of the Order were professors at the school, and those who weren't took one of the tunnels leading to the room from Hogsmeade. The inhabitants of the school, however, could just go through the tapestry, covering what seemed to be solid stone.

The tapestry itself did not cause anyone any alarm in the school, for it looked like a normal tapestry. In fact, one might not even notice it if they were not looking for it. To enter the headquarters one must have the password that was given to you by Albus Dumbledore himself. If you did not have the password, you would not be able to enter. He had placed powerful wards that would alert him if anyone wad tampering around with it, attempting to force entry.

The room itself was vast, with floor to ceiling windows that let the light pour in from the sun, and had a fantastic view of the ground and the lake. Comfortable chairs littered the room, and an elegant, beautiful carved mahogany table sat in the middle, with matching chairs neatly tucked underneath it. The carvings showed the houses of Hogwarts. Each leg was carved with a different animal, a lion for Gryffindor, a snake for Slytherin, a badger for Hufflepuff, and an eagle for Ravenclaw. In the middle of the table rested the crest of Hogwarts in gold leaf.

Severus noticed her as soon as he walked through the tapestry. She sat in a chair facing a huge arched window that provided an excellent view overlooking the grounds and the lake. She was watching the squid drift lazily across the lake, its tentacles waving in the cool breeze as it passed.

Long dark hair framed her delicate face as she turned in her seat to see who had entered. A smile broke across her face when she saw him. A smile of relief and love.

He noted she was dressed in all black, like he was, but then again, they always seemed to favor one another's wardrobes

"Ariana…" he greeted her with a nod as he walked over to her. It had been awhile since they last saw each other.

Ariana had moved to America after the fall of the Dark Lord, and had not returned to England since. She had taken refuge in the only place where she and her family could remain anonymous and blend in with everyone else.

She had chosen to live amongst the Southern Witches and Wizards of America, and during his trips to visit her, they would often head to New Orleans. Many witches and wizards there still practiced the forbidden art of voodoo, and it was a fascinating subject to learn about. The Americans were always lenient with their wizarding laws.

"Severus…" she said with another smiled as she got up to greet him, pulling him into a hug as she wrapped her arms around him, catching him off guard. Severus stiffened slightly at her embrace. He wasn't used to people showing him such affection. "It's been awhile, hasn't it?"

"Too long, Ari…" And it had been too long. Almost two years had passed by since he last saw her. Severus usually made yearly visits to see his friend, despite the disapproving glares from her soon-to-be ex-husband, Dante.

Severus wrapped his arms shakily around her and embraced her for a moment before letting go. A worried look crossed her face as her gaze went down to his trembling hands.

"Severus..."

"Don't…just don't Ari…"

Ariana bit her lip and looked back down at his hands, hands that were still shaking against their master's will , "he did this to you, didn't he?" her hands balled up angrily into tiny fists as she looked up at him, tears swelling in her eyes as she fought back her own rage, "You've had one too many Cructiatus curses. You can't keep this up, Sev. I doubt you can even make a potion right now. How are you even teaching? Those kids are going to run you over!"

"The day any student 'runs me over' will be the day that—"

"Save it, Severus. You're ill. You need to rest. When is the last time you've even slept?" She watched him as her averted his eyes from her. A low growl escaping his mouth, "Or how many sleeping potions have you been drinking to go to sleep? Take off your glamour charm, Sev. Let's see what you really look like."

Ariana waved her wand, and in an instant relieved him of his glamour charm, a charm that he had used to mask his illness from the world, and more importantly the Dark Lord and Dumbledore. She watched the glamour disappear, and his face, which was full of rage, shocked her to her very core. Severus Snape looked horrible. There was no other word to describe it. Dark circles formed black bags under his eyes, and his once silky smooth hair was dry and brittle. Translucent white skin was now a sickly white, and his once slender frame now resembled a skeleton.

"Severus…" Ariana opened her mouth to begin, but found herself at a loss for words. She knew she shouldn't have taken his glamor off. She knew that and yet she had, against his wishes. She saw the truth, the truth of what this war was doing to him, and what it was costing him.

"I don't need your pity." He hissed venomously at her, as he cast the glamour charm back on himself, and turning his back to her.

"He's killing you, Severus. If you keep this up you will die." The tears that had once threatened to escape earlier now freely ran down her face. She sank back in the squashy chair, resisting the urge to bring her knees to her chest, and forming a little ball. "You can't go back…"

"Do not tell me what I can or cannot do. I don't need you coddling me." He said finally glancing over at her form, noticing the tears that ran down her face, "I will be fine."

"You don't have to do this. Tell Dumbledore you quit. Tell him you're done. Show him Severus. Show him what he's done to you. Show him what the Dark Lord has done to you. If he knew, if Dumbledore knew he wouldn't let you go back! You know that." Ariana pleaded with him, hoping that he would give him. That he would save himself.

"You know I can't do that."

"You owe her nothing, Serverus."

"I owe her everything, Ariana…" Severus said as she looked away. The topic of Lily Potter had always been a sensitive one for both Ariana and Severus. Though Severus never really knew why Ariana hated Lily. He never bothered to ask. Severus was sure she had her reason.

Ariana made a "tch-ing" noise with her tongue as she stared out the window. Her foot was bouncing angrily as she was lost in thought, trying to think of something she could do, some way she could save the friend that she had cherished for so long.

"Besides, Ari, if the Order loses me there is no one else who can replace me as the spy. If they lose me they could very well lose this war, and I know neither of us wants the Dark Lord to rule."

Ariana let out a sigh of defeat before turning back to him. It was no use to argue with him now. She would have to come up with a better plan later. A plan that would save him from the Dark Lord. "Quit teaching."

Severus looked over at her, shocked at her suggestion, "quit teaching?"

"Yes. Quit teaching. I know that you secretly love teaching, especially when a student comes along that is talented enough to grab your attention, but Severus, since you can't quit being a death eater, you need to quit being a teacher."

"I can't just quit. Do you honestly think there is someone out there that is as qualified as me to teach these dunderheads?" Snape snarled at her before setting down in one of the armchairs and peering out the window.

"Then take small sabbatical. Find someone to take your post a couple months. Get your rest. Say you need a vacation, anything to get Dumbledore to give you the time off." Ariana smiled gently at him, but worry was packed behind her eyes. "If you keep this up, Severus, you could die. Then you wouldn't be of use to anyone. You wouldn't be able to fulfill your promise to Lily."

Ariana saw his eyes widen slightly at her words. She had used the only trump card she had in her deck, and it had worked brilliantly. She knew that the very mention of his promise to Dumbledore. The promise he made to Lily, or rather for Lily. The promise to keep Harry alive and well. The promise to help vanquish the Dark Lord to atone for his sins. Sins that Severus thought he would have to repay for the rest of his life.

She knew that it was a bit of an underhanded move, but if it got Severus to take his health more seriously…

"You're right…" he finally said at last, and those words brought another smile to Ariana's lips. Severus leaned his head over to his hand, and massaged the temple there with a sigh of defeat. Who was he going to get to cover his post? Who would be trustworthy enough to take over his place, and watch over his precious Slytherins?

Severus shifted in his seat, deciding to change the subject from his "vacation". He would deal with that later with Albus. Hopefully between the two of them they would find someone suitable as a replacement. He shuddered to think what the students would say of his absence, but then again, he figured they would all be pleased about it.

He looked over at his friend. Her eyes had become distant and glazed over as she stared longingly out the window. The squid was till letting its massive tentacles dance across the water. "Now that we're done discussing me… How have _you_ been, Ari? How have you _really_ been?"

Ariana looked over at him, a weak smile parting her lips, "I've been better. It's not easy…losing someone like this…especially in the wizarding community. Divorce is almost unheard of. I know the muggles do it quite frequently, but still…"

She looked down at the ground, fighting back her tears. It was one thing to shed tears of concern over someone else, but she wasn't about to cry over her own situation. She had shed enough tears, and she wasn't about to cry in front of him again. No, Ariana decided she wouldn't show him how weak and vulnerable she was really feeling, even though he probably already knew.

"It's his loss. You know that right?" Severus said in what he hoped was a comforting tone of voice. He was never good at comforting women, in fact, one could go as far as to say he wasn't good at comforting anyone. He tended to avoid human interaction.

Ariana let out a sigh. She had heard the line before, from multiple people. But was it really only his, Dante's, loss? What about her children? The family that they made together that was now being torn a part because of them, because of her…

She stood up suddenly, running her hand through her hair, and walking towards the window. She stared out it, blinking back her tears. She felt defeated, and it was a feeling that she did not like having. Ariana was taken by surprise when she felt two arms snake around her, pulling her into an embrace.

Severus just held her there, resting his head on top of hers, and mumbling into her hair, "It's going to be okay, Ari. It's going to be okay." He repeated this to her like a mantra as tears found their way down her cheeks. She buried her face in his chest, and letting all her emotions that she had bottle up free for the first time.

Having Serverus' arms around her was magnificent. She hadn't felt this warm from him in ages. It was almost as if they were back in time, back when they were…she shook the thought away from her mind. There was no need to go there. Not again. Too many feelings left there, and she was far too fragile to revisit those.

Serverus pulled away from her as he ran his hand through her hair absentmindedly, and placed his hand on her cheek. He noted she still used the same shampoo, or at least it was still scented the same. Jasmine. Just like he remembered. Memories of his time with her at Hogwarts started to bubble up to the surface, but he shut his mind off to them.

He wiped a tear streaming down her face. "Stop crying. He's not worth your tears." Severus smiled down at her, and she returned his smile before sitting back down in her chair. Severus followed suit and sank back heavily into his. "He never has been worth your tears…" Severus said in a whisper to himself, not meaning for her to hear.

"Thank you, Sev." She said as she began to fiddle nervously with her hands. She needed that. She needed to cry like that. She had need his comfort. It was a relief to know that someone still cared about her. Her own children, it seemed, resented her at the moment, and it was all she could do not to fall to pieces.

He nodded at her, "you'll return the favor at some point I'm sure." He smirked as he pulled a few pieces of parchment and scribbled something carefully on it, before folding it back up and putting it into his pocket. "You know I'm here for you."

"I know you are." She said before turning her attention to her watch, and looking down at the time. It had to be getting close to the meeting time. She sighed and tapped her watch a little impatiently, attempting to think of everything that was to be discussed.

Her thoughts automatically drifted to Harry, and she bit her lip, chewing on slightly. She wondered if he had anyone there for him. If he was bothering to open up to anyone. After all, he had just lost the closest thing to father he had. The toll it must have taken on him…

"How's Harry doing?" She asked suddenly, looking over at Severus, who had somehow produced papers, and was busy grading them as they waited for the other members of the Order. Severus looked up a bit agitated. She knew he hated to be disturbed when he was working. That, and Harry wasn't one of his favorite subjects.

"I wouldn't know, nor do I care to know about the boy's well-being." He let the words slide out of his lips covered in acid. There was no doubt that he hated the boy, but she knew that she couldn't take most of what Severus said at face value. Ariana knew that Severus cared for Harry. After all, he was Lily's child…

"Bullshit." She said with a slight smirk as he looked over at her in astonishment, "that's right, I said bullshit, Severus. That wonderful American vulgarity has finally rubbed off me."

"Why do _you_ care about the boy's well-being?" he rubbed his temples again before sitting back down in the chair, and became rather absorbed with looking out the window.

"He is supposed to the savior of the wizarding world." She said with a slight smile, and fell back into the chair.

"Please don't fill that child's head with more praise. His head is already as big as it can get."

"I seriously doubt that Harry Potter is arro—"

"As arrogant as his good-for-nothing father was."

"Severus…don't let old prejudices—"

"I am not letting old prejudices get in the way. The boy is arrogant. He has no regard for the well-being of any of his friends or allies, and his blatant disregard for the rules that lands him and his friends in serious danger."

"And you don't think Dumbledore isn't to blame for any of it?" She watched Severus raise and disbelieving eyebrow at her. "Look, you know Albus set him up for so many things, and he kept a lot from him…that factors into it. And…look…I know you didn't like him, but Sirius died when Harry ran off to fight the Dark Lord at the Ministry…has anyone checked on him…made sure he was coping with Sirius' death okay?"

"The boy is fine, Ari." He said with a wave of his hand ending the discussion. He didn't know why she was so interested in the well-being of the boy, but he had no interest in finding out. Who cares what was troubling Potter. He didn't have any interest in that.

The tapestry glowed a shimmering gold, before the Boy-Who-Lived stepped through. His eyes were cast down, and when he heard Severus clear his throat, he finally looked up. The look on Harry's face shattered Ariana's heat.

Dark, purple circles hung under Harry's eyes. His robes were crumpled and they hung loosely on his body. She had heard the boy was slim, but this wasn't slim. This wasn't even healthy. Harry almost looked like a walking skeleton, and it pained her that no one noticed. No one noticed the hurt and sadness that clouded the boy's eye. She could spot easily. It was the same way her eyes look every time she passed a mirror.

Ariana knew the boy hadn't coped well with Sirius' death, and she knew without a shadow of a doubt that Harry blamed himself for his godfather's death. She frowned and looked over a Severus. She wore a look that practically screamed _See? I told you so. _

Severus rolled his eyes at her. He hated when she wore that look, and when they were at Hogwarts together she often wore that look with him. "Potter…" he greeted him with a slight nod, before removing himself from his chair and finding himself a dark corner in the room. If Potter was there then that meant the other Order members were not far behind.

"The meeting hasn't started yet?" he asked looking around at all the empty chairs.

"Obviously not, Potter, and ten points from Gryffindor for your silly little question." Severus snapped at him, before burying himself back in his papers. Grading even more harshly than before.

Harry opened his mouth to say something, but quickly shut it again. The argument with Snape wasn't worth it, for once. Harry sat down in one of the chairs that had been tucked neatly under the mahogany table. His eyes scanning the room, before they rested on her.

"Who are you?" he asked with curiosity. He couldn't understand why anyone in their right mind would want to be trapped in a locked room with Snape, but he was skeptical of her appearance. He had never seen her before, and that worried him. Paranoia set in. What if this woman was here to hurt him? To trick him? To—

"My name is Ariana Castillion. It's a pleasure to meet you, Harry." She got up from her chair, and held out a pale hand for him to shake, but when he didn't make a move she withdrew it quickly as if nothing had happened. "I believe you probably know my daughter. She transferred here from the Salem Witch's Institute. Her name is Maria Ravenswood."

Harry's eyes lit up slightly at the mention of Maria's name. She had hit the jackpot. So he did know her daughter. At least this would get him to open up and perhaps talk to her without that look of mistrust plastered across his face. She supposed it was better than the sadness that had shone across it earlier.

"She tried out for the Gryffindor Qudditch Team as a chaser." Harry knew exactly who she was. He had watched Maria try out for the team he was now captain of. "She's a brilliant chaser…"

"She played at Salem too. She must have gotten her Qudditch skills from me." She said with a sly grin, "I played back in my day at Hogwarts."

"What house?"

"Slytherin. You must have inherited your father's skills. He was magnificent on the field. It was always hard to trick him, and get the quaffle away." Ariana closed her eyes and thought back to her time at Hogwarts flying on a broom at the Qudditch pitch, quaffle under her arm, dodging bludgers…

"You knew my father?"

"Not really. We were in the same year, but we were in completely different circles…" She looked over at Snape who was busy pretending he was reading the parchment that laid in front of him. _Some spy…_she thought to herself. His eyes weren't even moving.

Harry opened his mouth to ask more questions as the tapestry across the room turned gold, and let in a pack of Weasleys followed by the majority of the Order. The Weasley twins must have held everyone up with their usual antics.

Ariana gave Harry a smile, before turning and gliding her way back over to where Severus sat, and settled herself next to him. "Let the show begin…" she murmured to him silently.


End file.
